MadStad Engineering, Inc. , of Dade City, was started in 2006 by Mark Stadnyk, a biker who loved to ride but “hated having his head beat to death by turbulence, air pressure and wind noise.”
After abundant research, he eventually came to the conclusion that “the problem isn’t the windshield, it’s the way the windshield is positioned” and he developed the MadStad adjustable windshield system, which reconfigures the angle of the windshield to make it more aerodynamic, eliminate any vacuum, and adjust the height to better direct airflow.
Today, MadStad employs eight people, including Mr. Stadnyk and his wife, Patty and his windshield system is sold throughout the world and used on dozens of makes and models of motorcycles, with annual sales of more than $500,000.
He also holds three patents, and is making headlines taking issue with a relatively new federal patent law called the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011 (AIA) .
In a federal court in Florida, Stadnyk and his counsel charge that “the legislation is a triumph of corporate lobbying power over the founders’ wishes, and that it threatens America’s stature as the world’s leading innovator.”
As recently as yesterday, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office moved to dismiss Stadnyk’s lawsuit , but it’s unlikely Stadnyk will stand down easily. We’ll keep you posted!
Read the full story at the NY Times.
